The Gift of Love
by Keren Olivero
Summary: Finally coming to grips with his feelings for Naru, Nephrite leaves the Dark Kingdom upon Ruby's advice and he and his henchwomen slowly learn about what the human world has to offer, but not without having to deal with Beryl's ongoing threat.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Once again, Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, not me. However, Alexandrite, Ametrine, Miki, Yukari and Ruby belong to me so do me a favor and don't steal them. This novel continues where "Slow Process to Redemption" left off and is the final book in the Nephrite series. As usual, Japanese names will be used as well as a mixture of NA dub, a pinch of PGSM and original anime influences. Twists of events will occur here and there as well as some usage of dialogue from the show. Although this fic will be based on the anime, I like PGSM Zoisite, so the Zoisite in this fic will eventually have some of his personality characteristics. Rated T for violence. Feedback is much appreciated but no rude comments will be tolerated. _

Chapter 1

* * *

After school, Usagi and Naru went over to Juuban Park to have a talk. The entire walk there had been in silence, as Naru seemed to be in her own world and Usagi wanted to save what she had to say for when she was alone with her best friend. _'Oh goody,'_ thought Usagi when she saw that aside from some birds flying around chirping, the park was mostly empty. _'Absolutely perfect for our talk.'_ She could feel the breeze blowing on the back of her neck. Her long blonde pigtails proceeded to blow in the wind. _'Oh that feels so nice.'_

Naru sat on the ground with her legs stretched out in front of her and glumly rested her head in her lap. She was so confused and didn't know what to make of the turn of events that occurred the previous night. There she witnessed Nephrite being just as vicious as the monsters she was nearly attacked by in the past, yet he showed concern for her when she protected him and saved her from Yasha. Not to mention when she woke up she discovered he had left her his phone number. _'Surely he must want to have something to do with me if he gave me a way to contact him. Not sure if I will, though. I don't want to be a nuisance to him.' _ The red head heaved a loud sigh. _'I wanna know more about those ladies who were with him, too.'_

Usagi shot a glance at her best friend, and had a hunch about what was on her mind. _'She must be thinking about Nephrite again. What should I tell her? I don't want her to be mad at me, but I can't let her get hurt, either, although it remains to be seen that my wish will not come true.'_ She knew enough not to tell Naru to just forget him, as it would only upset the girl further. She took a deep breath. "Naru-chan, about Masato Sanjouin, I was only looking out for your best interest. I didn't mean to upset you. Please believe me."

Naru looked up slightly. She could see the blonde looking at her with pleading eyes, begging her for forgiveness. Her heart softened. "I know you were just trying to help. And it is okay. I have seen how bad he can be, but I still love him. I can't get over my feelings for him, even though I probably should."

The blonde smiled sadly at how quickly Naru seemed to have matured. No puppy love or silly crush for her. "You really love him that much?"

"I do," the red head answered. "Very, very much." She was not ashamed to admit her true feelings, even if people laughed at her for having them. She paused. "Do you have someone you love?"

"Sort of," Usagi admitted. "With two guys, actually." _'Although my love isn't nearly as mature as yours.'_

Naru felt better hearing that, although she had to hold back a chuckle at the thought of her best friend loving two guys at once. "I am glad you understand."

"I do now," said Usagi. "I hope everything works out for you."

Naru's eyes brightened a bit. "You mean that?" She hoped her friend wasn't just pulling the wool over her eyes.

"Sure I do. Something tells me your love may change him." _'I hope she doesn't ask me how I know that. I would have to reveal my identity and it is forbidden to do so.'_ She helped Naru to her feet. "Best friends again?"

"Of course." The red head and Usagi hugged each other.

Usagi was so glad the little argument was just a small misunderstanding. It was only on occasion that she and her friend argued, but she hated their fights all the same. "Let's go." _'Thank goodness it's the weekend…no thanks to the boatload of homework Ms. H gave us.'_

"Okay." As Naru left the park with her best friend, there was something that puzzled her. _'I wonder how she knows so much about Masato-san. '_ She shrugged the nagging feeling off. _'Maybe it's just a coincidence or something. It is really bugging me, but now is not the right time to ask her about it.'_

* * *

Meanwhile, Ruby was in the den, flipping pages in a fashion magazine. For the first time in years she was feeling a little less stressed, thanks to being able to rid herself of the feelings she had whenever she heard the voice of Queen Beryl._ 'Speaking of which, I wonder what Beryl is up to now….if she even knows about what transpired last night.'_ There was no doubt in her mind if the witch queen did know about what had happened, there would certainly be hell to pay…if not from Beryl, definitely from Zoisite or Kunzite. So why was there so much quiet? It didn't make sense. _'Not that I am complaining…I will enjoy this quiet while it lasts.'_ She twirled one of her cherry colored hair strands around her finger.

Just then, Miki and Yukari entered the den. Miki was holding a glass of ice tea.

Ruby looked up from the magazine she had been reading and placed it aside, for she was a bit too distracted to read anyway. "Oh, hello there, girls. What's going on?"

"Just wanted to see if you would like a glass of iced tea," said Yukari.

"Well sure," answered the crimson haired young woman. "Thank you."

Miki handed Ruby the glass filled with the coffee colored liquid. "Actually, this is part of the reason we have come to see you."

"Oh?" Ruby took the glass from her friend and took a sip, enjoying the flavor. _'A nice relaxing drink on a nice relaxing day.'_ "So what is it?"

"What has been on your mind today?" asked Miki. "You seem a bit distracted."

'_Oh darn it. I was hoping she wouldn't notice. She would never let me live it down.'_ "Well, don't you find it a bit odd that Beryl has been so quiet about last night's turn of events?"

"Yes, you're right," answered Yukari. "And it's about time, too. I thought I was going to have to stock up on aspirin once again."

Miki gave her twin an amused look. "I do understand what you mean, but don't you think it means Beryl could be plotting against us as we speak? After all, Master Nephrite did save Naru-san, and you know it's not something the witch queen will take kindly to. Don't get me wrong, I would have done the same thing, but we need to protect ourselves somehow."

Yukari looked thoughtful and felt so annoyed with herself. "Yes. You're right." She shuddered at the thought of being turned into a human ice sculpture like Jadeite had been, for his failure.

Ruby took another sip of iced tea and rested the cup on the floor. "That has also been on my mind, Miki. We have to find a way to escape the Dark Kingdom, but we must plan carefully. It would be foolish to expect those vultures to let us leave alive."

Yukari gave a wistful sigh and ran a hand through her curls. "I never thought I would say this, but it certainly would be nice to be free from the Dark Kingdom. Sure, the idea of world domination was fun for awhile, but thanks to Naru I am beginning to see there is more to life than that."

"I agree," said Miki. "I concede that I cannot hope to compete with Naru-san." For the longest time, she had been disgusted by the thought of taking second place to a school girl, but the courage the young girl displayed the previous night showed who would be the better soulmate.

Yukari and Ruby looked at each other. They never thought Miki would be one to freely accept defeat.

'_I would love to get to know that girl better.'_ "I do not know what Master Nephrite plans to do, but I will talk to him and see if he is willing to leave the Dark Kingdom." Ruby was hopeful he would, as he seemed to be deeply affected by Naru's love.

* * *

Later that night, Nephrite sat on the throne in his planetarium. He had sensed Beryl summoning him all day, but just like before, he had no interest in hearing what she had to say, nor would he ever be again. He felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders, now that he knew why the black colored crystal kept reacting to Naru's energy. He was still unsure of the next step he should take.

The star shitennou pulled out the kurozuishou and examined it. "The kurozuishou is no longer of any use to me." It was still hard for him to come to grips with the fact that the stars were leading him down a different path from the one he thought he had in mind.

_*Flashback begins*_

_Naru saw the moon tiara heading for Nephrite. Filled with fear for what the Frisbee weapon could do to him as well as adrenaline, she dashed in front of the chestnut haired young man. "I'll protect Sanjouin-san!"_

_Moon screamed with fright as she watched the tiara travel closer and closer to her best friend. "Tiara, please stop!"_

_Naru wrinkled her brow and looked away as the tiara headed for her. To everyone's surprise, the tiara weapon dropped onto the ground. Moon picked it up. "I can't believe it stopped."_

_"I won't allow you to hurt him!" said Naru in a no-nonsense tone._

_"Naru, we can't let him escape," said Mercury._

_"Step aside right now!" ordered the raven haired senshi._

_"Not a chance!" replied the red head stubbornly. "You will have to kill me too!"_

'_Why would she protect someone like me?' __wondered Nephrite. Sure, Ruby had protected him before but this was different when coming from a human._

_"Why would you protect such an evil man?" asked the senshi of ice._

_Tears streamed down the red head's face as she answered, "Because I love this man with all my heart. I will protect him at all costs, even if it means my own death."_

_*Flashback ends*_

Nephrite's recollection of Naru protecting him from Moon's tiara as well as her giving him a rose and telling him she loved him very much made his heart feel very warm inside_. 'Could this be the feeling of love?' _

"Impossible. I'm getting soft," muttered the star shitennou as he stood up. It was the same feeling he had when he danced with her at the Diamond ball a few weeks prior, when he walked by her side with an arm around her shoulders and when he wrote down his contact information for her, although he was not sure why he did the latter.

"Excuse me, Master Nephrite."

Nephrite glanced up to see Ruby standing before him, bowing respectfully. "Yes, Ruby. What is it?" He noted the young woman had somewhat of an earnest look on her face, which she would only wear when there was something on her mind she was desperate to discuss with him.

"There is something I must speak with you about, sir. I hope I haven't disturbed you." Ruby always hated to interrupt her master from something important.

"No you haven't. Go on."

The red head youma took a deep breath, trying to collect her thoughts. "First, I have a question regarding the girl Naru. You are fond of her, are you not? You don't have to be ashamed to admit that to me."

Nephrite was a bit taken aback by the question. He was not one to admit his feelings to anyone in the Dark Kingdom, but he knew Ruby and his other henchwomen enough to know he could trust them, as for the longest time they were the closest individuals he had to companions. Not to mention he could not deny his feelings any longer, even though he still had yet to fully understand them. _'Come on, admit it. You have no reason to lie to her,' _said a voice in his head. "Yes I am."

Ruby looked relieved Nephrite didn't bite her head off for asking him a question he might or might not consider really personal. "In that case, I feel you should leave the Dark Kingdom," she advised.

The star shitennou's eyebrows raised slightly, a bit surprised at what just came out of the mouth of Ruby. Such a possible option had actually crossed his mind, but he wasn't sure how his trio of youma would feel about it. Though why he should be surprised, he didn't know, since their hatred for Beryl was immense. "Oh? What brought this on?"

Ruby looked sure of herself as she answered, "Well, you have met someone who is showing you a better life, which is more than the Dark Kingdom could ever offer. Also, wouldn't you like to learn more about the positive human emotions? I know I am curious about them."

Nephrite smiled for the first time that night. It was true, Ruby could be just as curious as a kitten at times. And she did make a strong point about the human world. There were quite a bit of likable aspects, so on the one hand, he knew he would be crazy to try and destroy it. _'On the other hand, would it be foolish to give up such power?'_

The cherry haired young woman didn't know what to make of her master's silence. Not that she blamed him; such an awesome position of power was a lot to give up. At the same time, she hated to bring back bad news to her two friends. "Please sir. Consider what I am saying. And I hope you know that whatever happens after this, Miki, Yukari and I will back you up. Remember, we pledged our loyalty to you, not Beryl."

Of course, Nephrite definitely knew that, for his henchwomen had proven their loyalty to him a long time ago. And although he would usually scoff at what Ruby had been telling him, oddly enough, he wouldn't this time. _'Ruby never ceases to amaze me.'_ "I will give it some thought and let you know my decision in due time."

Not quite the answer Ruby was hoping for, but it gave her a bit of hope. "Take your time planning. We do need to be careful after all."

'_Ruby is indeed correct when she mentions careful planning.' _One more act of deception was in order. Nephrite recalled Sailor Moon's interactions with Naru when she warned the red head about him. He knew she would not be so vehement about her warnings unless...

"Sailor Moon seems to have a close connection to Naru. Maybe Naru-san knows who Sailor Moon is." Nephrite chuckled lightly. "Sailor Moon, I hope you didn't think you have seen the last of me." He started to have a feeling of…guilt? _'Insane. Why would I feel guilty about this plan of revealing Sailor Moon's identity? It seems Naru has had more of an influence on me than I thought.'_ He placed the kurozuishou back in his pocket and disappeared in a swirl of brownish red light.

Unbeknownst to both Nephrite and Ruby, Zoisite was in the mansion as well, spying on them from behind a stone white pillar near the throne. He smirked when he saw the kurozuishou in his rival's hands. _'So Nephrite created the kurozuishou to help him find the ginzuishou, did he? Well if he does not want it anymore, I will gladly take it off his hands. Doing so should be a piece of cake considering how distracted he has become…and I suspect he is not to be trusted. I had better keep a close eye on him.' _ The blonde shitennou snickered.

Ruby heard the sickening laughter which caused her to look up sharply, and nearly made her lose her dinner. _'Show yourself, you slimeball.'_ She spotted a figure standing by the stone pillar, disappearing in a flurry of cherry blossoms. The red head youma pinched the bridge of her nose in disgust. _'Zoisite.'_ She was so annoyed with herself for not sensing his presence sooner, but she somehow knew he was up to no good. _'I had better keep my eyes on that worthless little worm.'_ She disappeared from the planetarium as well, and went to find the twins to inform them of this.

* * *

Nephrite stood in Naru's dim room and watched her sleep for awhile. _'So this is what the girl's room looks like. I suppose it is fitting for a girl of her age.' _He smiled at how peaceful she looked while asleep. _'Such an innocent, fragile, beautiful girl.'_ He had the strongest urge to run his fingers through her short, thick, wavy red hair that was spread across her pillow, to let her know of his presence. To resist the temptation, he hid behind the curtains.

Naru heard the sound, which caused her to stir in her sleep and wake up with a start. She saw a silhouette of her ideal soulmate, which made her heart burst with joy, just as she thought she would go insane worrying about whether she would see him again. "Sanjouin-sama, is that you? "

Nephrite was somewhat amused by how much trust the young girl had placed in him, although he had been deceiving her most of the time. But now his conscience was nagging at him for it. _'It is time to show her some honesty.'_ "Masato Sanjouin is just a disguise. My real name is Nephrite. I do not wish to lie to you anymore. Please forgive me for having done so."

'_So Sailor Moon and Usagi had been telling me the truth all along.'_ Naru wanted to kick herself for being so explosive with Usagi during their little spat, but she knew it was in the past now. _'I thought it was weird when Ruby referred to him as Master Nephrite before…she and those other ladies with her must be his servants or something.'_ "Of course I will." She knew how hard telling the truth could be at times and it took guts. For that reason, her respect for Nephrite grew even more. She started to reach out to him.

"Stay where you are and just listen."

'_Rats! So much for getting closer to him.' _ Naru pulled her hand away and gave him her best attentive look. "I'm listening."

"You're a wonderful girl, Naru-san. It is because of you I have come to understand love for the first time in my life. There is no love in the evil organization I had inhabited, the Dark Kingdom. There is nothing but deceit and betrayal, ruthless creatures that will say and do anything to get what they desire. In fact, my servants are the only ones to display emotions remotely similar to yours. I thought that was the way things were everywhere, but your love has opened my eyes to the truth. You have impacted my servants as well."

"Awww…" Naru never thought someone like her would be able to impact anyone the way Nephrite just described. She didn't feel like a silly girl with a silly crush anymore. "Nephrite-san...sorry if I am asking too much, but won't you please come closer? I have something I want to say to you as well." She scooted over a bit, so she was in the center of her bed. She looked a bit sheepish at making such a request. _'That was real smooth. However, I felt like there was such a distance between us.'_

"All right." The star shitennou reappeared in the young girl's room and sat in the space she left for him. _'I think I know what she wants to tell me.'_ He faced her and looked directly into her greenish blue eyes, letting her know she had his full attention.

'_Oh his eyes are even more beautiful than I remember them being.' _Naru drew in a deep breath. For some reason, her confession was becoming harder to do than before, which she found strange. She hoped it wasn't fear, as it seemed like he wasn't bothered by her at all. _'Come on Naru, you can do it. You have before.'_ "I love you very much, Nephrite-sama. I've loved you since the first moment we met." _'There. That wasn't so bad. I hope I won't scare him off.'_

"And I love you," confessed Nephrite. Somehow it was easier to admit his true feelings the second time than it was at first.

Naru's eyes widened with shock. At first she didn't know what to say. She had been hoping he would return her feelings, but with everything that happened, it was too good to be true. "Really?!" she finally squeaked out, reaching up a hand and gently stroking Nephrite's hair. The corner of her lips started to curl up into a smile.

Smiling, the chestnut haired young man held her small, dainty hand in one of his gloved hands, which gave her butterflies in her stomach. "Yes Naru-san, and from this moment forward, I want to become allied with the sailor senshi. Help me, Naru-chan. If you know who Sailor Moon is, please tell me where I can find her."

The small smile on Naru's face faded. "I'm sorry, I really don't know."

"You do trust me, don't you?" asked Nephrite, feigning hurt.

"Of course I do, Nephrite-san. But I just don't know. I only see her when I am in danger. She hasn't given me any way to contact her." Tears streamed down her cheeks.

Nephrite frowned, but decided to take Naru's word for it. He dried her tears. It pained him to see her in distress. "I see. Well if you do find her whereabouts, you know how to contact me." He stood up, leaned over, kissed the girl on the cheek and disappeared.

"Nephrite-sama, wait!" She opened the curtains. She touched her cheek where he had kissed her. _'At least I now have an excuse to call him…but who knows how long it will take me to find out that information?'_

Nephrite stood outside the red head's room, arms crossed. _'I am sure she will find a way to contact Sailor Moon.'_

* * *

Across the street from Naru's place, Zoisite stood on top of a building with his trio of youma known as the Plant Sisters. The sakura shitennou thought it seemed suspicious back when Nephrite said he was doing his task for himself and not Beryl, as well as when he overheard the conversation with Ruby. He now knew where the older shitennou's loyalty lie. Zoisite gave an evil smirk, as these interesting, yet outrageous turn of events gave him the perfect way to punish his rival for attempted assignment theft.

"My oh my, the fact that Nephrite has fallen so deeply in love with that earthling female proves he is more of a foolish man than I thought," commented Zoisite, with an amused expression on his face. _'Certainly more sickening than those love sick youma of his.'_

"Master Zoisite."

"Hmm?" The tawny haired shitennou glanced up to see one of the sisters, Grape, with hair that was half blonde, half purple and an arm that was made up of thorns, approaching him.

"So girls, what do you think about such a sickening display of affection?" Zoisite asked his trio of plant-like youma. Just saying the words made him feel queasy.

"He's so stupid," the sister with deep purple hair and bangs streaked with red, known as Housenka, answered.

"Let's kill him right away!" said Grape. _'He shall feel the wrath of my extendable thorn arm for his treachery!'_

The sister with long navy-bluish black hair called Suzuran remained silent. She seemed to be a bit neutral on the situation.

Zoisite smiled at the fact that his plant-like youma were on the same page as he, but at the same time, he was not surprised by it. They wanted nothing more than to prove their loyalty to him as well as punish those who caused him pain in any way. But they were also being rash as well. "Do try and calm down a bit. I think we should bide our time. Nephrite is extremely fierce in battle, and a direct confrontation can cost us our lives. Let's attack him in a more subtle way. Why not take this little girl hostage and lure him into our trap?"

"That works, too," said Housenka. She had been so intent on destroying her master's rival that she forgot about the importance of perfect strategy. She looked at Suzuran, who had just been standing by and listening. "Suzuran, what's on your mind? You have been so quiet. You are in agreement of this plan, are you not?"

The ebony-haired sister looked sheepish. "Of course I am. But I was also wondering, what about those insolent wenches who surround Nephrite? Shall we dispose of them, too?"

'_She must be referring to the youma called Miki, Yukari and Ruby,'_ thought Grape. Before she could answer, Zoisite responded, "No, let them be. After all, they can be disposed of at any time. Let's show them how nice we can be by having them watch their master suffer."

"Understood," said Grape. She and her two sisters left to carry out the plan.

'_Nephrite…I will never lose to you again,'_ thought Zoisite as he watched his youma go.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

* * *

Naru sat on her bed with her hand beneath her chin. She gave a loud sigh as she pondered the previous turn of events. She had tried going back to sleep, but Nephrite's confession to her combined with her worry for him prevented her from being able to.

'_I suppose I should be happy that Nephrite-sama said he loved me…which I am, since a part of me didn't think he would return my feelings…but how can I be totally happy, knowing he is possibly in trouble?'_ The red head could feel her eyes welling up with tears, but she blinked them back and took a deep breath. _'Don't get too upset, Naru,'_ said a voice inside Naru's head. _'Try to think of what to do.'_

'_Okay, if I am going to save Nephrite-sama, I'm going to have to find Sailor Moon. The problem is I don't know where to look.'_ Naru then remembered the conversation she had with Usagi that afternoon, in regards to Nephrite. _'Maybe she knows something about Sailor Moon, how to contact her or something. Her knowledge of him is too weird to just be a coincidence.'_

Knowing Usagi would be the only one who could help, Naru decided to call her. She quietly tiptoed downstairs, not wanting her mom to know she was still up. She was hopeful speaking to the blonde about the situation would not be too difficult, given her change in tune. She retrieved the cordless phone, tiptoed back upstairs to her bedroom, sat on the floor and dialed the number._ 'I hope she's still awake, or else I won't be able to help Nephrite-sama. Who knows what will happen then?'_

"Good evening, Tsukino residence," answered a crisp female's voice.

Naru let out a sigh of relief. "Hi, Mrs. Tsukino. I'm sorry if I disturbed you. May I speak with Usagi, please?" _'Please be awake, please be awake, please be awake.'_ Not that she was expecting her friend to still be up, considering her slothful nature and how late it was.

"Hold on just a moment."

"Thank you." As Naru waited for her friend to come to the phone, she composed herself enough to be able to say whatever she needed to without breaking down into tears.

Usagi came to the phone giving a long yawn. "Yes, who is it?" she asked sleepily. There was silence on the other line. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "Who's calling me?" _'Please let this not be a prank call. I wouldn't be able to sleep if it is.'_ She hoped it wasn't Umino, either, or else she would give him a piece of her mind for interrupting her beauty rest. But then her heart began to pound with worry, since the only time she would be called so late was if something was wrong. Did Ami or Rei have some sort of crisis? _'I wonder if there is some sort of attack going on that I know nothing about.' _ She balled her free hand into a fist at the thought.

Naru took it Usagi had been half asleep, if not going to sleep soon._ 'I had better keep this call short.' _"Usagi, I'm sorry for calling you so late." Naru didn't believe her best friend would be mad at her since she didn't make it a habit to call late at night, but she didn't want Usagi to get the wrong idea.

"Oh, Naru!" Usagi exclaimed, somewhat relieved, somewhat worried. _'She's the last person I would expect to hear from this late…something must be wrong for sure.'_ Realizing how loud her voice was, she lowered it to a whisper, lest someone would come and tell her to lower the decibels. "What's wrong?"

"I have some good news, but I also need your help, and I didn't know who else to call."

"Okay. What happened?"

"Well Masato Sanjouin's real name is Nephrite. He told me he loved me and he also asked me to help him find Sailor Moon."

"Oh?" Usagi wanted to believe Nephrite's confession to the red head meant that her wish upon the shooting star came true, but it still remained to be seen. She was not sure what to make of him wanting to meet up with her. _'For all I know, it could be part of a trap he is planning to set for me. I mean, yes he proved me wrong, but I can't expect that his personality would make a drastic change in just one night.' _

'_Oh, she certainly took that better than I thought she would. I thought for sure she would be at least slightly freaked about Nephrite-sama wanting to see Sailor Moon.' _All of a sudden, Naru's eyes filled with tears, which she had been doing a good job fighting. "I have the feeling Nephrite-sama is in great danger, but I feel so useless knowing I can't do anything to help him." She burst into tears.

Usagi cocked an eyebrow. "What kind of danger is he in?" she asked, genuinely concerned. She knew if Nephrite loved her best friend like he said, the agents of the Dark Kingdom would surely torture him for that, which would spell disaster for Naru as well. The thought of Naru being in danger made her feel discomfort in her chest. She could hear sniffling. "Naru? Are you crying?"

Naru's tears subsided. "I'm sorry to burden you with this so late at night. I'm all right now." At that moment, a silhouette of Nephrite appeared outside her bedroom door, though she didn't know it.

"Are you sure you're okay?" inquired the blonde. She hoped her friend wasn't just saying that.

"Yes, I really am. If you know how to contact Sailor Moon, please tell her Nephrite-sama needs to speak with her. Thank you for listening, Usagi-chan."

"Sure, Naru," said Usagi hesitantly. "Anytime." She hung up.

'_Don't worry Nephrite-sama, help is on the way,'_ thought Naru as she hung up as well.

Nephrite smiled to himself as he heard the last bit of the phone conversation. _'Just as I thought. So Naru-san's friend's name is Usagi, is it? Interesting.'_ He knew just how he would use that piece of info.

* * *

(planetarium)

Ruby, Yukari and Miki found out about Zoisite's plot with the help of Yukari's crystal ball. The twins' faces turned pale with rage. Ruby was so furious that her face turned nearly as red as her hair. Not only was Zoisite a complete coward, but he had to involve an innocent girl who had nothing to do with his grudge against Nephrite.

Ruby's first instinct was to turn the Plant Sisters into plant fertilizers, tear Zoisite apart limb by limb, and rip out his internal organs as the finishing touch. She clenched her fists and proceeded to breathe heavily, almost as if she were hyperventilating. _'Okay, Ruby calm down,'_ she mentally told herself, trying to slow down her breathing. _'If you are going to stop this, you must have a clear and sound mind. You have to do something fast, as those annoying weed sisters could be terrorizing Naru-san by the second.' _ She recalled how peaceful and fragile the girl looked and imagined her and Nephrite's lives being cut short in a cold blooded manner.

The red head youma shook her head to rid her mind of the horrific image. _'Pull yourself together, girl! This is no time to think about crying yourself silly! Remember, this is nothing Master Nephrite cannot handle.' _

The twins glanced at Ruby. "You all right? What do you think about all this?" asked Yukari.

By then Ruby had calmed down somewhat. "It is absolutely despicable, but I cannot say I'm surprised, considering what an annoying, detestable parasite Zoisite is," she answered.

Yukari rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Good grief. I knew Zoisite was a scumbag, but who knew he was such a vengeful maniac? Do you think he concocted this scheme all on his own or did Kunzite put him up to this?" _'Can't Kunzite train him better?'_

"It wouldn't surprise me if Kunzite gave him that plan, but you never know what he would be capable of when he becomes a dangerous enemy," said Miki. "Of course, he could just be making empty threats, but it is wise not to take chances. I must admit, at least he had the sense to warn those wretched sisters that Master Nephrite is a very skilled warrior. "

Ruby laughed huffily. "Even so, they're fools if they think Master Nephrite will be outsmarted so easily. Subtlety is clever, but not good enough."

"Yes, well, we'd better go find Master Nephrite and warn him about this," pointed out Yukari, looking worried. "Otherwise, Zoisite and those plant women will make liars out of us."

'_Yeah, like that'll ever happen,'_ thought Ruby. "Agreed."

* * *

Usagi quickly got dressed in her sailor outfit and proceeded to run over to Naru's house with Luna beside her. Shortly after she had hung up from her best friend, she began to have a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach, which she usually had when someone close to her was in danger.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this plan of helping Nephrite?" asked Luna. "He may have set a trap for you."

Usagi rolled her eyes at the attempt to make her have second thoughts. "Of course I'm sure, I've never been surer of anything in my life! I mean, I'm still not entirely sure if the wish I made worked, but I want to find out!" _'Plus Naru sounded really upset on the phone and I don't want to see her hurt.'_

Luna didn't know what to say to that, since it was understandable. "Well, if you say so. I do, however, believe Naru is in danger. However, you're not going to save her in time if you don't pick up the pace!"

"Hey, what do you expect? I'm not a cat!" Usagi hated when Luna always had to rub it in her face that she was a slow sprinter.

"Never mind, I'll meet you there!" Luna sped off.

'_Geez, she could have waited for me…we were almost there…but I suppose it beats her rushing me when I'm doing my best to get there quickly.'_ Usagi was about to follow, but suddenly, the sidewalk became crooked and she had trouble keeping her balance. Soon it seemed like everywhere was crooked. It was almost as if someone was trying to send her into another dimension.

"Aaaaah! What's up with this? I bet this is the work of a youma! You're going down, you Dark Kingdom flunky!" A part of her wondered if it could be Nephrite or one of his youma behind the trick, but she was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt._ 'After all, innocent until proven guilty, right?' _ She took out her brooch. "Moon Prism Power, Make Up!" As the transformation was complete, the sidewalk and surroundings returned to normal. The moon senshi stood with one hand on her hip and the other on her forehead, poised for whichever challenge she was about to face. "All right, show yourself, whoever you are! I don't have all night to be waiting!"

"Hahaha, thank you for revealing your true identity, Sailor Moon!" answered a familiar male's voice.

'_Oh. So it is Nephrite.' _Sailor Moon whirled around. _'Where is he? I don't see him.'_ She was about to yell at him to show himself, but before she could, he appeared in a swirl of reddish light, levitating to the ground. His long hair, which had been swirling slightly upward, fell over his shoulders.

"Nephrite!" Moon cried out, half terrified, half exasperated. She felt like such a fool for even thinking of helping him, since at the moment he didn't _look _to be in any danger. _'He must have tricked Naru-chan again…no Sailor Moon…don't think that way, even if you are suspicious. You have to hang tough! Remember, it will take some time for him to change.'_

"So Sailor Moon's real name is Usagi, is it not?" asked Nephrite. "You would be a fool to deny it. I saw you transform."

Sailor Moon squirmed, unsure of what to say at first. It was true, he had seen her transformation, so she couldn't lie, but at the same time she knew she would be a fool to confess. There was one thing that puzzled her. It was one thing for him to see what she looked like in street clothing, but how could he possibly know her name? _'He must have overheard Naru while she was talking to me on the phone. That little schemer!'_ She knew enough not to openly show her anger, as he would probably be amused by it. She decided to test him. "Perhaps I am, but if you know that, would you please do me a favor and not tell anyone? It could just be our little secret between the two of us. All right, Nephrite?"

'_I see she's not willing to acknowledge her identity…clever girl. However, I can still see through her little charade.'_ "You don't have to hide the truth any longer."

Moon didn't think it would do much good to explain why it was imperative to hide her identity, but she decided to try anyway. "You don't understand. I really have to. Do you realize what could happen if Beryl learned the truth? Please, I really don't want to fight." The blonde senshi stopped, listening to herself. Although she hadn't planned on saying the last words, she realized how true they were._ 'Great…he must think I'm a wimp or pathetic, but I can't help it.'_ She looked down at her feet.

Nephrite studied the young girl before him, and could see in her eyes that although she had a brave front, she was at least mildly afraid. Not that he blamed her. If he were in her shoes, he would be afraid of him, too. And he could very easily take advantage of her fears and attack if he wanted to, since he generally enjoyed seeing her on her knees.

'_Please, Nephrite-sama, say you and Usagi-chan will try to come to an understanding,'_ said a voice in the star shitennou's head. What struck him was that it sounded a lot like Naru's voice. He wasn't sure if he was entirely ready to do that just yet, but he hated the thought of Naru being in distress. He thought of a good way to prove her right. "Not to worry. I do not intend to reveal your identity to Queen Beryl." There. It was a start, but better than nothing and a huge step where his enemy was concerned.

"Nephrite…" Sailor Moon looked surprised by what her one time foe just said. She was tempted to ask him what brought on the change. Surely it wasn't her plea, since she never knew him to be relenting. _'I think I know. It must be Naru…he must love her after all. I thought he was toying with her emotions again.'_ She dared herself to look at his facial expression, to make sure he wasn't patronizing her. To her surprise, she saw that he looked serious, and almost thoughtful. "I appreciate that, Nephrite," she managed to reply.

Nephrite gave a small, reserved smile. For the longest time, he didn't see her as a real threat, as she looked very weak and was no more than annoyingly persistent. He had to admit, though, she proved how tough she truly was when she destroyed most of his battle youma and gave him the fright of his life the previous night, when he was nearly fatally wounded by her tiara. _'You have proven yourself to be a worthy adversary, Sailor Moon.'_

The two warriors stood facing each other. There was an awkward silence between them. Luckily, Nephrite's trio of female henchwomen appeared before things could get _too_ awkward.

"Master Nephrite, we have come to warn you about something very disturbing," said Ruby in a rush. "It seems Zoisite and some youma of his are up to no good. They are going to kidnap—"

Before Ruby could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by a voice crying, "Nephrite-sama, help me please!"

'_That's Naru-san's voice!' _ The star shitennou looked troubled. He realized Ruby was trying to tell him Zoisite had planned to have Naru kidnapped. He recalled Zoisite vowing revenge on him. His expression turned into a scowl when he realized what Zoisite's plot of revenge involved—using Naru as bait to get to him. _'Such cowardice…or perhaps he knows he cannot win against me. Either way, I will not tolerate this!'_ He made an effort to soften his scowl, and looked at the senshi of the moon. "I have some business to attend to, but rest assured our paths will cross again." He and his youma teleported away.

'_I guess it's safe to say my wish on the shooting star worked after all,'_ thought Moon. _'I noticed he didn't attack me, even though it seemed like he was going to at first.'_ She also noticed it was the first relatively civil conversation she had with him. _'Maybe next time I see him, we will start to become friends…speaking of friends, I'd better go find Luna and see what happened to Naru-chan…I had almost forgotten I was supposed to be looking for her until I heard her scream.'_ The blonde could not bear the thought of her best friend being hurt. She clenched her fist. _'Those creeps will pay if they try anything with her.' _She ran off to see if she could find her feline guardian.

Luna had just arrived at the Osa.P place a few moments ago. She began to feel an extremely evil vibe nearby, prompting her to look up. Housenka was soaring through the air, with a bubble surrounding her, but she was not alone. She was holding a figure tightly around the abdomen.

The feline was filled with horror once the youma flew closer and she got a good look at the person. "Oh no, it's Naru! I have to alert the senshi right away." She didn't know what exactly the youma had in mind for the red head, but she had a bad feeling, considering how ruthless the Dark Kingdom agents could be. _'Sailor Moon had better hurry up…the slowpoke.'_

* * *

Nephrite and his trio arrived in Naru's room, desperate to stop the perpetrator from getting away with the underhanded scheme of kidnapping her. However, the room was empty.

"Oh no! She's gone! We're too late!" yelled Ruby. _'Whoever took her was certainly fast. Not that it'll change anything.'_

"Dang, the sisters were too fast for us!" moaned Yukari. "Who knows what they will do to her now?"

Miki gave her sister a look. "Yukari, don't say that. Your pessimism isn't helping at all. Master Nephrite could be trying to devise a plan."

Upon hearing that, Yukari put her hands to her mouth. She didn't want to risk aggravating Nephrite, as he was probably more stressed than any of them. "Sorry. I guess I'm a bit tense."

Miki gave Yukari an understanding look. "So am I. But if Naru will be saved, try to refrain from panicking."

Ruby saw a small piece of paper lying on the bed. "Look. It appears to be a note of some kind. Maybe it explains Naru-san's whereabouts." _'It had better, if those wenches know what's good for them.'_

Nephrite picked up the piece of paper his underling pointed out. _'Last warning. Hand over your kurozuishou if you wish for Naru's life to be spared,'_ it read. _'Zoisite's minions must have left this behind. Such an insolent fool. Does he honestly think I will ever surrender to him?' _ An image of Naru laughing and running towards him appeared in his mind. There was no way he was going to allow such a fragile soul with a radiant smile be harmed over something as priceless as a stone. In his anger, he crumpled the ransom note and created a ball of flames in his hand, thus burning the note.

"Master Nephrite, what's the matter?" asked Miki. "What did the note say?" _'I'm guessing it was something out of line, based on his reaction.'_

Nephrite looked grim as he answered, "My kurozuishou in exchange for Naru's life." Just thinking of the demand made his blood boil.

Ruby pressed her lips together, resisting the urge to let out obscenities, which she didn't want to do in front of her master, so she opted to just hold her tongue. She growled angrily.

"What the hell?!" blared Miki. "You don't have to give him anything!" She could feel her nerves twitching. _'If only Zoisite were in this room...next time I see him I'm gonna electrocute him to pieces.'_ Realizing her outburst, she stopped and tightly crossed her arms across her chest.

There were so many insulting comments Yukari wanted to make about Zoisite, but she was trying to keep her cool for once. "Um Master, I am sure it will be a piece of cake for you to rescue the girl, but do you want us to come with you? I mean, just in case this is a trap so we can strike if we have to."

Nephrite knew it was possible this was a trap being set for him, but he had to take the chance. However, he didn't want his youma to be exposed to it. On the other hand, he found her concern valid and thought a little bit of help would be nice, just in case. "Yes, but remain hidden. It is a possibility Zoisite has similar plans for you as well."

Ruby nodded, hearing Suzuran ask about getting rid of her and the twins. "Understood."

* * *

The Plant Sisters held Naru captive at an abandoned nightclub called Rag Time, which was so run down it would have to undergo major renovation for future use. Housenka had made Naru kneel down, spread both arms out and she bound them at the wrists to an overturned table.

Guarding the girl was simple, yet the sisters were starting to become bored out of their minds since she did nothing but quiver in fear. They were ready for some action.

Grape impatiently tapped her foot. "Come on, Nephrite, what's the hold up? Are you trying to make me go to sleep from boredom?"

Housenka looked at her hostage with disdain, unable to believe someone as powerful as Nephrite would give someone so fragile and defenseless the time of day. "Do you honestly think he will show up for some wimpy little human?"

"Ha! If he doesn't, we will just have to kill her, won't we?" Grape chuckled softly to herself. _'Not that it would be much fun, considering how simple it would be to slay her.'_

Naru overheard the taunts, which worried her more. _'Nephrite, are you coming to save me soon? These ladies are so creepy. I know you can defeat them.'_ She shuddered at the thought of being killed by them. Not to mention the position her arms were in put a strain on her shoulders. _'Please hurry, Nephrite-sama. I don't know how much my shoulders can take.'_

Suzuran looked at the red head with false pity. "Look, the poor sweetheart is frightened. It's a shame we have to destroy her, hahaha!" She sensed a familiar force and looked up.

Nephrite finally showed up, walking down the old stairs. He gazed at the sisters with contempt. _'Worthless underlings…your powers are impressive but neither of you are a match for me. Zoisite was a fool to send you after me.' _ He spotted a frightened Naru. It pained him to see her in that condition and he was filled with more fury than before, but he tried to control his anger as it could get in the way.

The sisters returned his gaze. _'So you finally decided to show up, Nephrite,'_ thought Grape. _'However, it will be the last mistake you'll ever make.'_ Housenka stood with her legs wide apart, ready to fight.

"Nephrite-sama, look out!" cried Naru, when she saw her kidnapper preparing to attack.

"Die, you traitor!" Housenka spat, launching a barrage of small red bombs.

Naru's words had barely entered Nephrite's mind in time, but he saw the assault coming and avoided the explosion by leaping off the stairs, high into the air. Suzuran shot distortion waves from her hands, which didn't faze him enough to cause pain and dizziness, but the defense attack decreased the momentum and amplitude in the leap he made to dodge the bombs. As a result, he crunched down on the right ankle when he landed and nearly stumbled. He was able to prevent it by crouching down on one knee.

Housenka saw the near stumble and cackled with delight. "Look at the all powerful Nephrite now!" she mocked. "I thought you would be a stronger foe than this, but I guess I overestimated your abilities!" The youma shot more grenades at him, hoping she would get him this time. He scooted out of the way just in time. It was then he began to feel a dull throbbing in the ankle, though only slightly.

"Grrr, you little upstart! You won't escape my attack this time!" _'This guy seems even more powerful than Master Zoisite described. And this is a better plan than what we had in mind.'_ She placed both arms above her head, preparing to launch more grenades.

Housenka's taunting at the near fall incensed Nephrite, mostly because in her own obnoxious way, she was correct. He was generally much more agile and precise than what he just showed. The fact that a defense attack caused his little mishap was unacceptable. _'You won't be amused for much longer.'_ The star shitennou conjured his star sword, and charged at Housenka. He slid the blade of the sword across her waist before she could launch another volley of her projectiles. She instantly turned into dust. Next, he lunged at Suzuran, stabbed her in the abdomen and made a vertical slice of her body.

'_Don't worry sisters, I will avenge you both.' _ Grape extended her thorn arm at Nephrite, but he sped past the arm, forcing her to retract it. Once he was positive he had her distracted and was close enough, he chopped off her thorn arm at the shoulder, making sure it wouldn't be able to extend anymore. This caused her great pain and the wounded area began to bleed profusely. She clutched at the area where her arm used to be.

"Aaaah! My precious vine arm!" cried the youma in a fit of rage. "You'll be sorry!"

"I don't think so." Nephrite slit her throat, causing blood to gush out and he stepped away to keep his uniform from being soiled. He slid the blade of his weapon across her upper body for the final blow.

Naru had an awed expression on her face. The fight had left her speechless. She had seen a sample of Nephrite's power, but she had no idea she was merely seeing a small sample. _'He's really good at wielding a sword, too. I'm just glad he did all that to protect me.'_

Nephrite reached into his pocket and pulled out his kurozuishou, held it up and crushed it in his hand. He no longer wanted it and he certainly wasn't going to allow his rival to keep nagging him for it. He let the shards of the shattered crystal drop to the floor. He went over to the red head girl, and gazed lovingly into her eyes for awhile. He carefully sliced the ropes that bound her wrists and made the sword disappear. He picked her up and carried her out of the run down nightclub.

* * *

Seeing that the coast was clear, Nephrite's trio of youma appeared from hiding as they spotted him coming out of the building. As happy as the women were that they were not needed, they were still glad they got to witness the destruction of the Plant Sisters. They walked side by side, next to him. "Great job, Master Nephrite!" Yukari congratulated him. "That was classic!"

"Yes," agreed Miki. "That should teach Zoisite a lesson and then some."

"I imagine the battle was a total waste of your time, but at least it didn't take long," commented Ruby.

"I appreciate your support, girls." Nephrite did find the sisters to be somewhat unworthy opponents even with their unique abilities, but if putting them away was what it took to save Naru, so be it. As much as he would have liked to think he taught Zoisite a lesson in the process, he couldn't be too sure, depending on the sakura's persistence.

"What are you going to do about the kurozuishou?" asked Yukari. "I am certain he will come later to get his greedy paws on it, since he knows you no longer have any use for it. Or even worse, kill you for it, since his youma failed."

"I have been aware of that, which is why I disposed of it."

"Great thinking, sir," said Ruby. "Now if Zoisite wants a black crystal, he will have to have the witch queen make one for him." _'That'll teach him not to mess with Master Nephrite.'_

Nephrite and the henchwomen were passing a park and were almost back at Naru's place. As Nephrite approached the apartment, the youma slowed down, intending to give the couple some time to themselves.

"We'll be right out here if you need us for anything," said Yukari.

"All right." Nephrite teleported into Naru's bedroom and gently put her down.

"Thank you for saving me, Nephrite-sama," said the young girl, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head against his chest. It felt so good to be in the safety of her bedroom once again, even though she wasn't sure how she would go back to sleep. _'Oh his chest feels so warm…I can listen to the sound of his heart beating all day.'_

The chestnut haired young man was a bit taken aback by Naru's sudden display of affection, but relaxed and cradled her. "It is the least I can do after having deceived you ever since I met you. I do not wish to continue lying to you."

"I know." Naru embraced him again and looked into his eyes. "You have showed me you really do have a good heart. As long as we're together, everything will be all right."

'_Huh? It seems I have a lot to learn from this girl.' _ Nephrite tried not to show pain on his face as his ankle had begun to hurt—a lot.

Naru thought of what she meant to ask Nephrite, now that they were alone. She had been worried when she saw his rough landing back at the fight and she noticed something had seemed off about the way he was walking whilst he was carrying her back home. It seemed to her like he was trying his hardest not to walk with a noticeable limp. "Nephrite-sama? May I ask you something?"

"Hmm?" Nephrite sat on the edge of the bed. He could take being on his feet no longer, with the ailing ankle. "What is it?"

Naru thought of the best way to approach the question. _'Just come out with it.' _"Um, I noticed during your fight with those creepy ladies, you landed funny and nearly fell. Are you hurting?"

The reformed shitennou could see a look of concern etched on the girl's face. He didn't want to worry her, and he was never one to make a big deal over a stupid injury, although the cause of it angered him. But he had promised to be truthful to her from now on. "A bit. It's only my ankle."

"I thought so." _'If he didn't hurt his ankle after a landing like that, I would be shocked. To think that it only happened on my account. I hope my efforts take at least some of his pain away.'_ "Take off your boot. I'll have a look at it."

Nephrite removed the boot as he was instructed with some difficulty, slightly wincing at the pain. He rested his leg on the bed for Naru to examine. She sat across from him and rolled down the sock so she could take a look. Sure enough, there was some swelling as well as a small bruise, which she couldn't help but wince at.

'_Ouch. No wonder it hurts,'_ thought the red head as she gently massaged it. She proceeded to rip a piece of cloth from her pajama top. She wrapped it around the injured area and tied it, tightly enough so it was secure but not to the extent where he would feel even more pain. "There. Maybe you can soak it or something."

"Thank you, Naru." Nephrite swung his leg over, retrieved his boot and stood up gingerly. It was still very sore but bearable. Right now, a soak in a whirlpool bath did sound good. He wondered if maybe he should go to the hospital, but decided against it, unless the pain didn't subside. He bent over, gave Naru a quick one armed hug and disappeared from the room.

'_Oh Nephrite…I hope you'll be all right.'_ Naru crawled under the covers to see if she could try going back to sleep.

Ruby and the twins were waiting for their master by the rosebush. They had noticed him limping slightly after leaving the nightclub so they were not surprised to see him with one shoe off. _'It must be really hurting.'_

"Ruby, please, watch over Naru," said Nephrite. "There is a chance Zoisite will return for her."

Ruby nodded, knowing Zoisite returning was a huge possibility, and she couldn't have that. "You got it, sir." Inwardly, she was smiling as this would be her chance to get to know Naru better. She teleported away.

"I am sure Naru-san will be in good hands with her," said Miki as she watched Ruby go. She and Yukari wandered over to Nephrite and wrapped their arms around his broad shoulders. "Hang onto my shoulder," Miki instructed Nephrite.

Nephrite looked bewildered, but had an idea of where Miki was going with this. She was obviously trying to make teleporting easier for him under the circumstances. He placed an arm around her shoulder like she told him to, and teleported with them to the mansion.

* * *

Naru was still very much wide awake, despite the time of night it was. The recent turn of events left her feeling mentally exhausted, and was weighing heavily on her mind. She just lay there, tossing and turning. _'Sheesh, I'm too young to have insomnia.'_

"You're having trouble sleeping, aren't you?" asked Ruby, noticing Naru's restless state.

Naru nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden voice. She sat up and looked around the room. _'Oh gosh I hope it's not another one of those evil creatures.'_ She saw Ruby sitting just a few feet from her. "Oh, it's you!" she said, relieved. "What are you doing here?" _'Not that I'm complaining or anything. I could use the company after what happened tonight.'_

"Master Nephrite has asked me to stay with you," answered the red head youma.

"Oh." As much as Naru would have loved it if Nephrite was there, she decided Ruby was safe. After all, the young woman had been nice enough to her the previous night. She could also tell Ruby and the twins had a good relationship with Nephrite based on the conversation they had whilst he was bringing her home. Surely they would honor a request involving her. Besides, if Nephrite was there and her mother saw, she wasn't sure how she would explain his presence to her mom. "To answer your earlier question, yes, I guess I am having trouble sleeping. There is so much on my mind."

"Do you care to tell me about it?" asked Ruby. She paused, realizing Naru might not be too keen on confiding her innermost feelings to someone who was still practically a stranger to her. "Of course, you don't have to if you don't want to, but just know I am here to listen to whatever is troubling you."

Naru hesitated, wondering if she should tell Ruby what she had been thinking about, considering she still didn't know the woman very well, although she wanted to get to know her. Not to mention she was someone who used to be one of the evil creatures. '_Come on, it won't be so bad. Remember, she has known Nephrite for much longer than you have and it'll be good to get your feelings off your chest.'_ She looked at Ruby from the corner of her eye. "Well, I'm just worried about Nephrite-sama. I hope he'll be all right again soon. "

"Of course." Ruby wasn't surprised to hear that. She knew how deeply the young girl cared for her master and didn't like to see him hurt. "I am sure he will be fine in no time at all, hun. It is probably no more than a sprain."

"I hope that's all it is." The mere thought that it happened on her account still bothered her, but she decided not to reveal it right then. There was also something else she had wanted to ask him, but she didn't think it was the right time. "This may sound silly of me, but I am scared another evil creature will come after me." She hoped Ruby wouldn't scoff at her for being wimpy, but she couldn't help it. The close call she had with the Plant Sisters was enough to give anyone nightmares.

"Not to worry. I will see to it that it doesn't happen." Ruby couldn't help but pity the girl. She was so innocent, yet so helpless in all of this. The only thing she wanted to do was show her sisterly side by repaying her for saving Nephrite and protect her in any way she could. _'Come to think of it, she could practically be my younger sister.'_

"Thank you so much. It means so much to me." Naru was beginning to feel at ease with Ruby.

"Don't mention it. Now try and get some sleep. You have been through a lot today. If you are still worried about Master Nephrite, I can take you to see him tomorrow if you like."

"All right, thanks. I'd like that very much." _'Hopefully by then his ankle will have stop hurting so much.'_ Feeling as if some of the weight had been lifted off, Naru crawled back under the covers.


End file.
